Gerrit Smith
| Gerrit Smith | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 21st district |
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In office March 4, 1853 – August 7, 1854 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Henry C. Goodwin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 6, 1797 Utica, Oneida County, New York |
| Died | December 28, 1874 (aged 77) New York City, New York |
| Occupation | social reformer, abolitionist, politician, philanthropist |
Gerrit Smith (March 6, 1797 – December 28, 1874) was a leading United States social reformer, abolitionist, politician, and philanthropist. Spouse to Ann Carroll Fitzhugh, Smith was a candidate for President of the United States in 1848, 1856, and 1860, but only served 18 months in the federal government—in Congress as a Free Soil Party Representative, in 1853–4.
Smith, a significant financial contributor to the Liberty Party and the Republican Party throughout his life, spent much time and money working towards social progress in the nineteenth century United States. Besides making substantial donations of both land and money to the African-American community in North Elba, New York, he was involved in the Temperance Movement and, later in life, the colonization movement. A staunch abolitionist, he was a member of the Secret Six who financially supported John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Smith was born in Utica, Oneida County, New York, to Peter Gerrit Smith (1768–1837) and Elizabeth (Livingston) Smith (1773–1818), daughter of Col. James Livingston (1747–1832) and Elizabeth (Simpson) Livingston (1750–1800).
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